The Haute Couture presentations are in full swing in Paris this week. Here, we’re sharing our thoughts on the Spring/Summer 2019 collections from Giambattista Valli, Ralph & Russo, and Iris Van Herpen.
Whether your preferred style is short and sassy, long and dreamy, or straying off the path of the ordinary, Giambattista Valli’s Spring/Summer 2019 Haute Couture collection surely had something for everyone. No shortage of volume was had this season, as many of the designs featured layers upon layers of tulle, feathers, and gathered embellishments. A palette of black, white, red, pink, and the occasional bit of blue, kept a classic feel, while the inclusion of beading, sequins, and sheer detailing allowed for the right amount of fun. Highlights included the gowns with the Elizabethan-era portrait prints, and the mini-dresses with the billowing gathered sleeves.
1960s Pop colors, Latin American femininity, and the Golden Age of Hollywood’s beloved Maria Felix all inspired Ralph & Russo’s latest Haute Couture collection. With a number of styles and silhouettes, the collection included body suits with frilly robes, smart pant suits with belled legs, and shimmering mermaid style evening gowns. While the cheery assemblage of colors and details like sequin embroidered bananas were playful and light, a touch of allure remained intact through form-fitting cuts and the addition of wide brimmed sunhats and gloved hands. Some of the looks we loved most were the minty green sheer and feathered dress with the matching hat, the black and silver high-low hemmed gown worn with matching leather gloves, and the all-over almost sheer gown with a beaded front and back resembling an alligator pelt.
Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen’s collection was named “Shift Souls,” and brought out a selection of otherworldly designs influenced by early examples of celestial cartography like Andreas Cellarius’ star atlas Harmonica Macrocosmica, published in 1600. A provocative palette of deep red, orange, purple, blue, and olive characterized the 18-piece collection that featured dresses of ethereal patterns. Via intricate, sculptural shapes—made with the use of a fine 3D laser cut frame of PETG—each dress reminded us of a mythological creature about to emerge from a crashing wave. The collection also saw a collaboration with New York-based artist Kim Keever, whose multi-dimensional prints were reimagined on the translucent organza of the cloudlike Cosmica dresses.
